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Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

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Open Access 01-12-2023 | Mood Disorders | Research

Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study

Author: Qiaochu Zhang

Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health | Issue 1/2023

Abstract

Background

It is unknown how the patterns of negative and positive attentional biases in children predict fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study identified profiles of negative and positive attentional biases in children and examined their association with emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

264 children (girls: 53.8% and boys: 46.2%) of 9–10 years born in Hong Kong or mainland China from a primary school in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China were involved in a two-wave longitudinal study. Children completed the COVID-19 Fear Scale, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale to measure fear of COVID-19, anxiety and depression symptoms, and negative and positive attentional biases in classrooms. After six months, they completed the second assessment of fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms in classrooms. Latent profile analysis was conducted to reveal distinct profiles of attentional biases in children. A series of repeated MANOVA was performed to examine the association of profiles of attentional biases to fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms across 6 months.

Results

Three profiles of negative and positive attentional biases were revealed in children. Children with a “moderate positive and high negative attentional biases” profile had significantly higher fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms than children with a “high positive and moderate negative attentional biases” profile. Children with a “low positive and negative attentional biases” profile were not significantly different in fear of COVID-19, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms than those with the other two profiles.

Conclusions

Patterns of negative and positive attentional biases were related to emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. It might be important to consider children's overall patterns of negative and positive attentional biases to identify children at risk of higher emotional symptoms.

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Title: Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study
Author: Qiaochu Zhang
Publication date: 01-12-2023
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Mood Disorders
Affective Disorder
COVID-19
Anxiety
Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health / Issue 1/2023
Electronic ISSN: 1753-2000
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00594-y

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Springer Medicine

Patterns of attentional biases in children and emotional symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave longitudinal study

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

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